Commodore Dacre Henry Deudraeth Smyth AO

Dacre Smyth was born in London on 5 May 1923, the son of Victoria Cross recipient Sir Nevill Maskelyne Smyth (1868-1941). The Smyth's emigrated to Australia in 1925, settling near Balmoral in Victoria. Smyth attended Geelong Grammar School and enlisted in the Royal Australian Navy in September 1940. His first posting was as Midshipman in HMAS AUSTRALIA. His war service saw him at the Battle of the Coral Sea, bombarding Sword Beach during the D-Day landings in France, and he was present at the bombing of Hiroshima on 6 August 1945. Smyth was aboard HMAS BATAAN during the Korean War and commanded HMAS SUPPLY during the Vietnam War. He spent a year as Aide-de-Camp to Governor-General William McKell and three years as Aide-de-Camp to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

In 1952 he married Jennifer Haggard and in his post-naval career was a well known author and artist. He was awarded the Order of Australia in 1997 and the French Legion of Honour in 2000.

Dacre Smyth died on 3 December 2008.